Coreopsis plant named ‘Salsa’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Coreopsis  named ‘Salsa’ characterized by its inflorescences with ray florets that are gold in color with a large dark red eye zone, its bushy and relatively short plant habit, its floriferous and long blooming habit, its relative sterility, and its vigorous growth habit.

Botanical classification: Coreopsis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Salsa’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is co-pending with a U.S. Plant Patent applicationfiled for a plant derived from similar parentage in the Inventor'sbreeding program that is entitled Coreopsis Plant Named ‘Caliente’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 21,869), Coreopsis Plant Named ‘Limbo’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 12/660,455), Coreopsis Plant Named ‘Cha Cha Cha’(U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/660,480), Coreopsis PlantNamed ‘Mambo’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/660,454),Coreopsis Plant Named ‘Jive’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.12/660,491).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCoreopsis plant, botanically of hybrid origin and known as Coreopsis‘Salsa’ and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name,‘Salsa’. The new cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceous annual grown foruse in borders and containers.

The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program inHubbardston, Mass. The objective of the breeding program is to develophybrid cultivars of Coreopsis with unique and superior gardenattributes. The Inventor crossed Coreopsis ‘Sweet Dreams’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 12,720) and Coreopsis rosea with Coreopsis tinctoria andanother annual type species that are not commercialized and made sixgenerations of crosses to produce interspecific hybrids to utilize inhis breeding work. The new variety was developed with a goal ofproducing new cultivars of Coreopsis with unique flower colorations,short and bushy plant habits, and sterility to lengthen bloom periods.

The Inventor made a controlled cross in August 2006 in his test gardenin Hubbardston, Mass. between an unnamed F6 generation seedling producedfrom crosses of Coreopsis tinctoria and Coreopsis rosea as the femaleparent and an unnamed F6 generation seedling produced from crosses ofunnamed hybrid Coreopsis from his breeding program and Coreopsis roseaas the male parent. ‘Salsa’ was selected in August 2007 as a singleunique plant amongst the resulting seedlings.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemcuttings in Kensington, Conn. in August of 2007 under the direction ofthe Inventor. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determinedto be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘Salsa’ as unique from all Coreopsis cultivarsand species known to the Inventor.

-   -   1. ‘Salsa’ exhibits composite inflorescences with ray florets        that are gold in color with a large dark red eye zone.    -   2. ‘Salsa’ exhibits a bushy plant habit and is relatively short        in height; reaching 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) in height.    -   3. ‘Salsa’ exhibits a vigorous growth habit.    -   4. ‘Salsa’ exhibits a floriferous and long blooming habit;        blooming from June through August in Massachusetts.    -   5. ‘Salsa’ is relatively sterile and produces very few seeds if        any.

The female parent differs from ‘Salsa’ in having a shorter plant height(reaching 8 to 12 inches in height), in having inflorescences with rayflorets that are white in color with a small burgundy eye, and inproducing an abundance of seed that shortens its bloom season to onemonth. The male parent differs from ‘Salsa’ in being taller in plantheight (reaching 18 to 24 inches in height), in being less floriferousand in having inflorescences with ray florets that are solid gold incolor. ‘Salsa’ can be most closely compared to cultivars from the sameparentage, ‘Cha Cha Cha’ and ‘Jive’. Both are similar to ‘Salsa’ inplant habit, plant height, and blooming habit. ‘Cha Cha Cha’ differsfrom ‘Salsa’ in having inflorescences with ray florets that are gold incolor with a much smaller dark red eye zone. ‘Jive’ differs from ‘Salsa’in having inflorescences with ray florets that are white in color withlarge eye zones that are dark burgundy-purple in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Coreopsis.

The photograph in FIG. 1 was taken in late summer of two five month-oldplants of ‘Salsa’ as grown in a mixed container planting in New Hope,Minn. and illustrates the bushy plant habit and floriferous bloominghabit of ‘Salsa’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of inflorescences of‘Salsa’.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Coreopsis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observedfor three growing seasons in a trial garden in Hubbardston, Mass. withthe detailed botanical data collected from five month-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown in two-gallon containers in New Hope, Minn. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms from June through August in central            Massachusetts.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous annual, well-branched to produce a            bushy habit.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) in            height and 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm in width) in 3            months from a rooted cutting.        -   Cold hardiness.—Has not been tested as it is grown as an            annual.        -   Diseases resistance.—No particular resistance or            susceptibility has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, fine and well-branched.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Terminal stem cuttings.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Oval, solid.        -   Stem color.—146B and lightly suffused 187C on mature stems.        -   Stem size.—Main stem averages 30 cm in length with laterals            an average of 21 cm in length (excluding peduncles), an            average of 2.5 mm in width.        -   Stem surface.—Very finely puberulent with some ridges when            mature.        -   Branching habit.—An average of 5 basal branches with an            average of 4 lateral branches, and 3 terminal flowering            branches, branch internode length is variable but typically            about 6 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf margins.—Primarily tri-lobed.        -   Leaf size.—Up to 6 cm in length and 4.5 cm in width, when            tri-lobed 4 cm in length and 6 mm in width and side lobes            3.3 cm in length and 5 mm in width.        -   Leaf shape.—Fan shaped overall when tri-lobed with lobes            narrowly lanceolate to linear.        -   Leaf base.—Attenuate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, not prominent, both surfaces 138B in            color.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf internode length.—Average of 4.5 cm.        -   Leaf quantity.—An average of 15 per main stem.        -   Leaf surface.—Dull and very finely puberulent on upper            surface and lower surface.        -   Leaf color.—Young and mature upper surface; 137A, young and            mature lower surface; 137B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Composite with ray florets surrounding            disk florets in the center forming a radiant head,            inflorescences are borne singular to group of 3 at terminal            of lateral branches.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About one week until            senescence of ray florets, bracts and disk florets are            persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—An average of 18 per main            branch.        -   Inflorescence size.—Average 1 cm in depth and up to 3 cm in            diameter with disk portion an average of 8 mm in diameter.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Average of 5 mm in depth and 6 mm in            diameter, shape is spherical, color is a blend of 31A , 153D            and 137B, with bracts 137B.        -   Peduncle.—Average of 6 cm in length and 1.5 mm in diameter,            146A in color, finely puberulent surface.-   Involucral bracts:    -   -   Bract number.—Two rows of 8.        -   Bract arrangement.—Outer bracts are un-fused spreading and            held nearly horizontal, inner bracts overlap and surround            receptacle with a campanulate form with apical portion            un-fused, spreading, and held close to ray florets.        -   Bract size.—Outer bracts about 2 mm in length and 1 mm in            width, inner bracts about 6 mm in length and 2.5 mm in width            with free portion an average of 3.5 mm in length and 2.5 mm            in width.        -   Bract color.—Outer bracts 138A in both surfaces, inner            bracts; fused portion 138A, un-fused portion is a blend of            138B and 35A with apex and margin 187A.        -   Bract texture.—Outer bract; puberulent, waxy, inner bracts            glabrous and waxy.        -   Bract apex.—Outer bract; acute, inner bracts; acute.        -   Bract base.—Truncate.        -   Bract shape.—Outer bracts; lanceolate, inner bracts; free            portion broadly ovate.-   Ray florets (sterile):    -   -   Number.—8.        -   Shape.—Ovate, appearance of three longitudinal sections with            center section longer.        -   Size.—Average of 1.4 cm in length and 1.2 cm in width.        -   Apex.—Emarginate.        -   Base.—Broadly cuneate.        -   Margins.—Entire on sides, divided into 3 lobes at apex.        -   Aspect.—Held nearly horizontal and slightly cupped upward,            slightly wavy.        -   Surface.—Glabrous on both surfaces.        -   Color.—Upper surface opening and fully open; lower half 59A            with upper half 17A, lower surface opening and fully open;            17C heavily suffused with 178A.-   Disk florets (male and female):    -   -   Shape.—Tubular, corolla is fused, flared at apex.        -   Size.—About 3 mm in length and 0.7 mm in width.        -   Color.—In masse; 59A when opening and becoming primarily 34A            when fully open and mature, corolla; base (tube) is 160A,            flared portion is 160A and translucent.        -   Receptacle.—About 3 mm in diameter and 2 mm in depth, 145A            in color.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Presence.—Disk florets are perfect, ray florets are sterile.        -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, 2.5 mm in length, style is very fine            and about 160A in color and translucent, bifid pilose stigma            is 170A in color with branches about 0.7 mm in length and            recurved, ovary is 1 mm in length, 0.5 mm in width,            inferior, and 145D in color.        -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, fused into tube surrounding style,            1.5 mm in length and 0.3 mm in width, about 200A in color,            no pollen was observed.        -   Fruit/seed.—Relatively sterile and produces very few seeds            if any.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant named ‘Salsa’ asherein illustrated and described.